SU catcher Ourso doesn’t plan to waste opportunity

Halfway through his college baseball career, Southern University catcher Clint Ourso realized he hadn’t gotten anywhere. A season at LSU-Eunice in 2009 finished with respectable numbers, but his sophomore campaign at New Orleans left a lot to be desired.

So when the UNO administration shifted the ground underneath its athletic department, announcing all programs would begin transitioning to NCAA Division III, Ourso saw an opportunity. “With two years left, I felt like I had to make a change,” said Ourso, whose junior season officially began Friday when he and his SU teammates began practice for the 2011 season.

Fourth Urban Invitational to begin Feb. 25

The Urban Invitational is back for the 2011 season, and for the first time, three Historically Black Colleges and Universities will be showcased.

In its fourth year, the Invitational -- set up by Major League Baseball's first Urban Youth Academy, in Compton, Calif. -- will run from Feb. 25-27, with HBCUs Southern University (in Louisiana) and Bethune-Cookman (Daytona Beach, Fla.) returning, and Grambling State University (Louisiana) joining the fold. Also playing in the collegiate round-robin tournament is the University of California Irvine, a first-time participant.

The Invitational, presented by the U.S. Army, gives HBCUs a chance to play on a national stage, something that rarely happens. This year they'll get that exposure once again, as MLB Network will air both games on Day 2, which is a Saturday.

SU Video: Urban Invitational: Sat. Gm 1

2011 MLB URBAN INVITATIONAL
Date Time (PT) Matchup Venue
2/25 6:30 p.m. Southern v. UC Irvine UC Irvine
2/25 6 p.m. B-CU v. Grambling UYA
2/26 1 p.m. UC Irvine v. B-CU* UYA
2/26 5 p.m. Grambling v. Southern* UYA
2/27 1 p.m. Grambling v. UC Irvine UC Irvine
2/27 1 p.m. Southern v. B-CU UYA
* broadcast on MLB Network @ Pacific Time

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